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A Closer Look: Making Maine's roads safer

There are a few notorious roads that have some Mainers suggesting lowering speed limits, adjusting a traffic pattern or adding a stop sign. But who do you contact to make it happen? WMTW News 8's Aly Myles takes a closer look.

There are a few notorious roads that have some Mainers suggesting lowering speed limits, adjusting a traffic pattern or adding a stop sign. But who do you contact to make it happen? WMTW News 8's Aly Myles takes a closer look.

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Updated: 5:45 PM EDT Apr 28, 2014

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WEBVTT áááÑWHETHER IT'S THEHIGHWAY OR A ROADCONNECTED TO YOURDRIVEWAY MANYMAINERS FEEL THAT AROAD NEARBY NEEDSSOME SORT OFCHANGE TO MAKE ITSAFER.SOMETIMES PEOPLEWANT TO REDUCE THESPEED LIMIT, PUT UPA STOP SIGN, ORSOME SPEED BUMPS.BUT WHO DO YOUCALL ...OR WHAT CANYOU DO.. TO TRY TOMAKE THAT CHANGE?WMTW NEWS 8'SALY MYLES JOINS USLIVE NOW WITH ACLOSER LOOK. ALY?FROM YORK TOWINTHROP ONFROM YORK TOWINTHROP ONHIGHWAYS STATEROUTES AND TOWNROADS WE'VE GONEUP AND DOWN A BIGPORTION OFSOUTHERN MAINE-AND A LOT OF FOLKSWE TALKED WITHWANT LOWER SPEEDLIMITS. BUT WHAT DOYOU HAVE TO DO TOMAKE SURE THATHAPPENS?áRoad nat popsequenceá INTOPSHAM-- IT'SROUTE 196...most of our fatalaccidents haveoccurred on that roadon 196. IN WINTHROP--IT'S 202.in my experience, itscertainly the worstroad that ive ever hadto work and its notgetting any better.TALK TO A POLICEOFFICER ORLONGTIME RESIDENTIN ANY PART OFMAINE-- AND YOU'RELIKELY TO HEARABOUT A ROAD IN THETOWN OR CITY WITH ALOT OF ACCIDENTS.FOR INSTANCE-- INYORK-- SOME FOLKSFELT SO STRONGLYABOUT A STRING OFCAR CRASHES ON ASECTION OF ROUTEONE-- THEY STARTEDA PETITION TO DROPTHE SPEED LIMIT.2:32 its 55 miles perhour. If you dropped itto 45, the difference intime to cover that7/10ths of a mile wouldbe 7 seconds. YORKRESIDENT DONLAWTON SAYS-THERESHOULDN'T HAVE TOBE A DEADLYACCIDENT-TO MAKETHE CHANGE. A STATEENGINEER FROM THED-O-T TOLD THECOMMUNITY HE'D DOA RADAR TEST IN THESUMMER-TO SEE IF ASPEED LIMIT CHANGEWAS NECESSARY.2:17 its kind of a veryexpensive way toaddress a very simpleproblem. THOSERADAR TESTS-- AREHOW THE D-O-TFIGURE OUTS A SPEEDLIMIT IN THE FIRSTPLACE-- BYAVERAGING THESPEED OF QUOTE--PRUDENT-- DRIVERS.2:00 they might go anaverage of 42, 43 milesper hour then thespeed limit is going tobe set as say 45. BUT--COUGHLAN SAYS--MANY ACCIDENTS AREHUMAN ERROR- ANDHAVE NOTHING TO DOWITH SPEED.2:13 its not thenumber on the signthat determines howfast people go, it's theaverage speed thosemost typical drivers gothat really sets thenumber on the sign.LIEUTENANT CHRISREED WITH AUGUSTAPOLICE AGREES.1:59 I think at thispoint the speed limitsare pretty well defined.It keeps the trafficdown to a low speed.It keeps the trafficdown to a low speed.ACCORDING TO THE D-O-T'S DATA, AUGUSTAHAS THREE OF THEMOST DANGEROUSINTERSECTIONS INTHE STATE ALL OFTHEM ARE ROTARIES.2:32 statisticallyspeaking, our rotariesand roundabouts dopresent the mostproblems. THEBOTTOM LINE... IT'SNOT EASY TO MAKE ACHANGE ON THEROADS. EVERY SPEEDLIMIT GOES THROUGHTHE D-O-T... GETSAPPROVED BY THECOMMISSIONER ANDTHEN BY THE CHIEFOF THE MAINE STATEPOLICE. COUGHLANBELIEVES-- IF DRIVERSPAID ATTENTION ANDKEPT TO A SAFESPEED- ESPECIALLYON ROADS UNDERCONSTRUCTION--MANY ACCIDENTSCOULD BE AVOIDED.4:25 everybody wantsto go home at night totheir kids or whateverbut people need toslow down when theysee orange on the road.THE D-O-T SAYSTHERE ARE FIVEREGIONALMAINTENANCEOFFICES AROUND THESTATE-- AND THEYTAKE THE CALLSFROM FOLKS WHOHAVE PROBLEMS.THEY SAY-- THERE ISA LOT OF WORK TO BEDONE AND IT CANSOMETIMES TAKEMORE THAN A DAY ORTWO TO GET TOTHOSE ISSUES-- BUTTHEY DO TRY TO GETTO THE PROBLEMS ASSOON AS THEY CAN.LIVE ??? AM WMTWNEWS 8.

A Closer Look: Making Maine's roads safer

There are a few notorious roads that have some Mainers suggesting lowering speed limits, adjusting a traffic pattern or adding a stop sign. But who do you contact to make it happen? WMTW News 8's Aly Myles takes a closer look.